Family and friends react as the coffin of Aiia Maasarwe arrives at her family home in the town of Baqa al-Gharibyye. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

Crime

Mourners gather for Aiia’s final homecoming

by Ellen Whinnett in Baqa al-Garibyye, Israel

23rd Jan 2019 7:43 PM
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AIIA Maasarwe is being laid to rest in her home town in Israel tonight where thousands of people are gathering in the streets and at the local mosque to bid a final farewell.

In heartbreaking scenes outside the family home, neighbours, friends and family members wept and offered prayers as Aiia's body arrived in a blue and white ambulance.

The coffin of Aiia Maasarwe arrives at her family home in the town of Baqa al-Gharibyye. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

Police closed the roads as the residents walked to the Maasarwe home to await the arrival of Aiia's body from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

Across the Arabic town of Baqa al-Gharibbye, large black signs were hung on walls which read "God have mercy on Aiia.''

Women gather outside Aiia’s familyhome. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

The 21-year-old international languages student, who was killed in Melbourne last Wednesday after getting off a tram near La Trobe University at Bundoora, was accompanied by her father Saeed on her final journey home.

Aiia Maasarwe was killed on the way home from a night out in Melbourne.

Aiia had arrived at the home in a dark mahogany coffin ... inside she was transferred to a simple casket made of light wood and draped in a carpet for her journey to the cemetery.

Baqa al-Gharibyye is a prosperous town built on a hillside in northern Israel and prayers from the mosque nearest her home rang out across the town as Aiia's procession made its way through the streets.